Woodcock Status Report, 1970

Information on the current status and population trends of the American woodcock is provided by annual singing-ground surveys over much of the species' breeding range and a wing-collection survey in the eastern United States. the 1970 singing-ground survey showed no change in the breeding population index for the Eastern region, a 3.12% increase for the Western region, and a 2.11% increase rangewide. This index is based on 752 comparable survey routes, all randomly selected, 35% more than the 568 routes used in 1969. The wing-collection survey for the 1969-70 season suggested a decline of 7.03% in productivity the previous summer, a slight decline in the average daily bag per hunter, and a sharper drop of 11.1% in the average seasonal bag. There is evidence that the woodcock harvest and the number of hunters participating increased over previous years, with the 1969-70 harvest exceeding 1.1 million birds. Woodcock research is increasing, with the present emphasis directed to banding on breeding grounds.